Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 02:1 (Spring 2004)
Article: Hierarchy In The Church? Instruction From The Pastoral Epistles Concerning Elders And Overseers
Author: Benjamin L. Merkle

JBTM 2:1 (Spring 2004) p. 45

Hierarchy In The Church?
Instruction From The Pastoral Epistles Concerning Elders And Overseers1

Benjamin L. Merkle

Instructor of New Testament
Missionary in Southeast Asia

As in every age since the first century, there is today a variety of opinions regarding the proper organizational structure of the church. Various denominations have deacons, archdeacons, evangelists, apostles, prophets, pastors, senior pastors, elders, overseers, bishops, archbishops, and there is even a pope. To make problems more complicated, there is inconsistency among denominations, and even within each denomination, as to what duties church officers should perform as well as the relationship between the differing office-holders.

The goal of this article is not to present a detailed blueprint of how every church should be organized. Rather, this article will focus on the use of the terms “elder” and “overseer” (or “bishop”) in the Pastoral Epistles in order to determine the precise relationship between these terms.2 Most denominations agree that the office of deacon is biblical and should therefore be maintained (although the precise function of the deacon will vary between denominations and many denominations do not have archdeacons). While the position of “evangelist” is important, it is not viewed as a “church” office per se since the tasks of an evangelist to minister outside the church is similar to the task of a missionary. Regarding the offices of apostle and prophet, Paul

JBTM 2:1 (Spring 2004) p. 46

clearly writes in Ephesians 2:20 that they were given to the church as a foundational ministry and therefore are no longer given today.3 But what about the other church offices? Does the biblical model include pastors, senior pastors, elders, overseers, bishops, archbishops and popes? Based on the evidence from the Pastoral Epistles, it will be shown that besides the office of deacon, there is only one other New Testament church office—that is, the office of pastor, elder or overseer.

Although the term “pastor” does not occur in the Pastoral Epistles, it is clear that it refers to the same office as the elder or overseer. There is only one text in the New Testament that uses this term to refer to an office in the church. Ephesians 4:11 states, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.” In this text, “pastor” is coupled with “t...